Xbox Studios Close To Deal With Showtime for Halo Series

Variety reports Xbox Entertainment Studios has reached out to Showtime to help distribute its live-action interpretation of Halo. The two have apparently been in gridlock discussions for some time now, with details between both sides still being worked out. If a deal is reached, however, the show, which is being developed with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV, will reportedly air on Showtime and then make its way to Microsoft’s 48 million Xbox Live subscribers.

With the Xbox One being marketed as a living room hub, and not just a console, Microsoft’s Xbox Studios has put a huge precedent on original content, Halo being its flagship franchise. That being said, there hasn’t been much urgency to roll the show out as all the right pieces are put into place. A team for Halo is still being put together, though it’s still unclear who will run the ship. Nancy Tellem, who heads the Xbox TV production unit, revealed that she’s currently putting a team together for the show.

The deal with Showtime, meanwhile, is taking a long time because of the new territory both sides are beginning to explore; if Halo does run on Showtime, it’ll do so first, followed by a later runtime on the Xbox, which will have enhanced interactivity. The series adaptation of the expansive bible is being produced by Spielberg and written by screenwriter Stuart Beattie, who is best known for lending his talents to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.